Personality Variables

Personality variables associated with innovativeness have not yet received full research attention, in part because of difficulties in measuring personality dimension in field of interviews. Earlier adopters have greater empathy than later adopters. Empathy is the ability of an individual to project himself into the role of another person. This ability is an important quality for an innovator, who must be able to think counterfactually, to be particularly imaginative, and to take the roles of heterrophilous others in order to exchange information effectively with them. To a certain extent, the innovator must be able to project into the role of individuals who are outside of the local system. Such as innovators in other systems, change agents and event scientists and R&D workers.

Earlier adopters may be less dogmatic than later adopters. Dog is the degree to which and individual has a relatively closed belief system, that is, a set of beliefs that are strongly held. A highly dogmatic person would not welcome new ideas; such an in dives dual would in stead prefer to hew to the past. Evidence in support of this generalization is not very strong, consisting of only several research studies. Earlier adopters have a greater ability to deal with abstractions than do later adopters. Innovators must be able to adopt a new idea largely on the basic of rather abstracts stimuli, such as are received from the mass media.

Later adopters can observe the innovation in the here-and-now of a peer's operation. They need less ability to deal with abstractions. Earlier adopters have graters relatiobality than later adopters. Relationality is use of the most effective means to reach a given end. Earlier adopters have greater intelligence than later adopters. Earlier adopters have a more favorable attitude toward change than later adopters. Earlier adopters are better able to cope with uncertainly and risk than later adopters.

Earlier adopters have a more favorable attitude toward science than later adopters. Because most innovations are his products of scientific research, it is logical that innovators are more favorably in clines toward science. Earlier adopters are less fatalistic than later adopters. Fatalism is the degree to which an individual perceives a lack of ability to control his or her future. An individual is more likely to adopt an innovation if he or she efficacious and believes that he or she is in control, rather than thinking that the future is determined by fate. Earlier adopters have higher aspirations (for formal education, occupations and so) than later adopters.